Carrying handles



Sept. 21, 1965 c. WILSON 3,207,397

CARRYING HANDLES Filed Dec. 9, 1963 6561212 C h zzsozz 1 g 4, INVENTOR 0BY m hawk 4612a United States Patent 3,207,397 CARRYING HANDLES Glenn C.Wilson, 320 N. Euclid Ave., Oak Park, Ill. Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No.329,134 Claims. (Cl. 22445) My invention relates to carrying handles forshopping bags and the like, and more particularly to handles suitablefor application to the arched straps forming the usual handles for theshoppingbag. While the use of the straps referred to is satisfactorywhen the contents of the shopping bag are light, they pinch or pressinto the flesh of the fingers or hand when the contents are heavier,causing pain or discomfort. Also, while wired wooden handles aredesirable and comfortable for carrying tied packages, the wire hooks ofsuch handles are too small or close to receive the relatively thickstraps of a shopping bag; and the average person avoids the manipulatingof wired wooden handles as diflicult or tedious, leaving such a task toa trained store clerk when a heavy package is to be taken out.

Since a special handle to carry a relatively heavy shopping bag is adesirable facility, it is one object of the present invention to providea handle which is adapted to receive the carrying straps of theconventional shopping bag with ease.

A further object is to design an accessory carrying handle which isrounded on the bottom and designed to fit the palm of the hand or theclenched fingers with comfort.

Another object is to provide an accessory carrying handle which seatsthe straps of the shopping bag in a pocket from which they cannot bedislodged by various positions or angles of the handle or the swingingof the shopping bag as it is carried.

An additional object is to provide projections in the handle alongsidethe place in which the shopping bag straps seat, in order to resist thetendency of the straps to shift from such place when the shopping bagswings toward one side or the other.

A still further object is to provide a facility for suspending garmenthangers and packages hanging from string loops from the present handle,in order that the convenience and comfort of the latter may be had whenone or more articles are carried.

An important object is to provide an accessory carrying handle which ismade in one piece and has a surface of substantial area for printedmatter or advertising.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation on a reduced scale, showing the applicationof the novel carrying handle to a conventional shopping bag;

FIG. 2 is a full-sized elevational view;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the right-hand portion; and

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

Referring specifically to the drawing, denotes the shank of the novelhandle, which is of hard plastic material and about one-eighth of aninch thick.

The shank 10 is expanded along the bottom with a shallow bevel 11 toform a base 12 having relatively-thin side edges. However, the base isthickened along the bottom with a convex surface 13. The handle is thusof inverted T cross-section, as shown in FIG. 4, and therefore of amplestrength to withstand flexing or de forming strains.

The handle 10 is designed to receive the straps 15 of a shopping bag 17near the ends, and is therefore cut with entrances 18 in its top edgefor this purpose. The entrances lead into slots 20 which converge atapproximately 45 degrees from the top edge of the handle.

3,207,397 Patented Sept. 21, 1955 The slots 20 are rounded at 21 on theway down to continue with outward horizontal channels 23. These climb byway of diagonal passages 24 into further horizontal channels 25. Thelatter are curved at 27 to return with converging final pockets 28,which terminate near the bottom of the shank portion 10, as shown inFIG. 2.

The top edge of the handle is slightly concaved between the entrances18, and the body portion 10 has a series of holes 30 along the bottom.FIGS. 1 and 3 show that the top of the body portion 10 is expanded toform ends which expand toward the bottom and are inwardly inclined tostrengthen the handle at the ends.

The entrances 18 are rounded on the inner sides, as seen at 18a, for theeasier insertion of the straps 15 of the shopping bag; and the cornersleading into the outward channels 23 are also rounded on the outer side,as seen at 21a, to facilitate the spreading of the straps after theyhave descended into the bottoms of the slots 20. However, the innerwalls 20a of the diagonal passages 24 are made with stops 20b on theouter side, while the ceilingsof the horizontal channels 25 are eachmade with a downward bulge 20c.

It is now apparent that the manual spreading of the straps 15 causeseach of them to climb by way of the passages 24 into the horizontalchannels 25 to the ends thereof. Now the raising of the handle willcause the straps to slide into the bottoms of the pockets 28 to thepositions indicated in FIG. 2.

It will now be evident that raising the handle to lift a weightedshopping bag will cause the straps 15 to pack tightly in the bottoms ofthe pockets 28, insuring the firm engagement of the straps with thehandle. FIG. 1 shows how the clenched fingers of the hand wrap under therounded and broad base of the handle, gaining a comfortable grip on thesame. In this connection, the concavity in the top of the handle alsosreves as a comfortable rest for the hand where it may engage such top.

The slotted formations in the handle are designed to check tendenciesfor one or the other strap 15 to become disengaged from the handle. Inthis respect the inner wall 20c of each pocket 28 is the first to resistthe selfclimbing action of the strap therein. However, should thisoccur, in case the strap has flattened or become thinner, and the straphas moved into the horizontal channel 25, the bulge 20c becomes anobstacle to the inward sliding of the strap. However, should the latterbe so shrunken or flattened as to pass the bulge, the stop 2012 presentsa barrier before the strap can slide into the channel 24. In case thisoccurs, the ceiling 20c of the channel 23 and the overhanging inner wallof the slot 20 will serve as deterrents for the strap to rise and becomeseparated from the handle.

When it is desired to hang the straps of a shopping bag from the handle,it is an easy matter to train each strap 15 from the correspondingentrance 18 to the bottom of the pocket 28. Also, no undue effort isrequired to thread the strap back through the locking elements in theslotted formations of the handle when it is desired to remove the samefrom the shopping bag. However, the locking elements present soliddeterrents at several points to the accidental tendency of a strap toclimb of itself to a point separate from the handle. Thus, the lattermay, to all intents and purposes, be considered as bound to the shoppingbag when engaged by the straps thereof in the manner described above,serving as a reliable accessory for carrying a weighted shopping bagwith comfort, and it follows that the heavier the shopping bag, the moretightly does it engage the handle.

The handle is also adapted for carrying other heavy articles whichrequire suspension. Thus, garment hangers may be hooked into the holes30 as indicated at 32 in FIG. 4 to facilitate carrying a number ofgarments; and the string loops of bound suit boxes, packages of shoes,books, etc. may be applied for suspension from the handle in the mannerdescribed above, so that two or more packages or bundles may be carriedby a single handle. The latter is thus a convenient accessory for thesuspended support of various articles.

I claim:

1. A carrying handle for the straps of shopping bags and the likeincluding an elongated shank having a top entrance for a strap near eachend, such entrance leading into a slot declining in inward direction,the lower end of the slot leading into communicating outward channels,and these leading into an inwardly declining pocket, said channels beingtwo in number, and the second one being at a higher level that thefirst.

2. A carrying handle for the straps of shopping bags and the likeincluding an elongated shank having a top entrance for a strap near eachend, such entrance leading into a slot declining in inward direction,the lower end of the slot leading into communicating outward channels,and these leading into an inwardly declining pocket, said channels beingtwo in number, the second one being at a higher level than the first,and the channels communicating by way of a passage rising in outwarddirection from the first channel to meet the second.

3. A carrying handle for the straps of shopping bags and the likeincluding an elongated shank having a top entrance for a strap near eachend, such entrance leading into a slot declining in inward direction,the lower end of the slot leading into communicating outward channels,and these leading into an inwardly declining pocket, said channels beingtwo in number, the second one being at a higher level than the first,and the channels communicating by way of a passage rising in outwarddirection from the first channel to meet the second, the wall of thepassage having a downward end portion facing the second channel as astop.

4. A carrying handle for the straps of shopping bags and the likeincluding an elongated shank having a top entrance for a strap near eachend, such entrance leading into a slot declining in inward direction,the lower end of the slot leading into communicating outward channels,and these leading into an inwardly declining pocket, said channels beingtwo in number, the second one being at a higher level than the first,and the channels communicating by way of a passage rising in outwarddirection from the first channel to meet the second, the ceiling of thesecond channel having a downward projection partly constricting thechannel.

5. A carrying handle for the straps of shopping bags and the likeincluding an elongated shank formed with a pair of slots in its top nearthe end-s to receive said straps, the slots being inclined inwardly andeach continued from its inner end with an outward passage, and a pocketinclined inwardly from the outer end of each passage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 399,180 3/89Bridwell 224-57 609,946 8/98 Pusey 22457 2,5 22,83 3 9/50 Maccaferri22457 2,528,239 10/50 McVay 22456 2,684,797 7/54 Schulte.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

